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The present study was carried out in two phases. In phase one optimization for the stage, form and rate of the addition of cardamom to control lipolysis was carried out. The prepared khoa was packed in polypropylene (PP) containers and stored at 7±1°C and/or 15±1°C. During storage, khoa samples were evaluated at an interval of 48 hours for acceptability by sensory analysis and monitored for lipolytic changes in terms of free fatty acids (FFA) content. Based on the highest sensory acceptability and ability to control lipolysis, that stage, form and rate of addition of cardamom were selected. khoa prepared by adding fine particles of cardamom in milk at the rate of 0.3 per cent significantly control the lipolysis and maintain the flavour when stored at 7±1°C and/or 15±1°C in PP containers. In the phase two, the selected method of addition of cardamom has been used in the preparation of khoa and evaluated for chemical and sensory characteristics of khoa. The chemical characteristics, rheological properties as well as sensory evaluation of control and cardamom treated fresh samples of khoa were statistically non-significant.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most extensively used and safest analgesic and antipyretic drug worldwide; however, its toxicity is associated with life-threatening acute liver failure. Cardamom (CARD), a sweet, aromatic, commonly used spice, has several pharmacological actions. In the current study, we tried to explore the chemical composition and the hepato-protective effect of ethanolic aqueous extract of CARD to mitigate APAP-induced hepatic toxicity and elucidate its underlying mechanism of action. Material and methods: Aqueous CARD extract was subjected to LC-TOF-MS analysis to separate and elucidate some of its components. In vivo animal experiments involved five groups of animals. In the normal and cardamom groups, mice were administered either saline or CARD (200 mg/kg), respectively, orally daily for 16 days. In the APAP group, the animals were administered saline orally daily for 15 days, and on the 16th day, animals were administered APAP (300 mg/kg) IP for the induction of acute hepatic failure. In the CARD 200 + APAP group, mice were administered CARD (200 mg/kg) for 15 days, followed by APAP on the 16th day. Results: The aqueous extract of CARD showed several compounds, belonging to polyphenol, flavonoids, cinnamic acid derivatives and essential oil components. In the in vivo investigations, APAP-induced impaired liver function, several histopathological alterations, oxidative stress and inflammatory and apoptotic status signified severe hepatic failure. Whereas, pretreatment with the CARD extract prior to APAP administration diminished serum levels of the hepatic function test and augmented Nrf2 nucleoprotein and HO-1 and NQO-1. CARD down-regulated MDA, inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB) and apoptotic markers (caspase 3 and 9 and Bax) and amplified the activities of SOD, catalase, GSH-Px and GSH-R in hepatic tissue samples. Conclusion: CARD extract mitigated the hepatic toxicity induced by APAP. The underlying mechanism of action of such hepato-protective action may be through upregulation of the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO-1 pathway with subsequent alleviation of the oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis induced by APAP. Many of the compounds identified in the CARD extract could be attributed to this pharmacological action of the extract.

Functional drinks can be made from local herbal ingredients that are often used for spices such as cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanni) and cardamom (Amomum compactum). The purpose of this study is to determine the best formulation of cinnamon and cardamon as a herbal drink based on moisture content, ash content , and sensory evaluation. Raw materials were dried at 50 °C until reached a maximum moisture content 10% and were reduced in size. The formulations were made of comparison between cinnamon and cardamom which were A (100: 0)%; B (80:20)%; C (60:40)%; D (50:50)%; E (40:60)%; F (20:80)%; and G (0: 100)%. The moisture content of all formulas is between 7.12-7.33% (

Cardamom seed (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton; EC) is consumed in several countries worldwide and is considered a nutraceutical spice since it exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic activities. In obese individuals, EC intake also favors weight loss. However, the mechanism for these effects has not been studied. Here, we identified that EC modulates the neuroendocrine axis that regulates food intake, body weight, mitochondrial activity, and energy expenditure in mice. We fed C57BL/6 mice with diets containing 3%, 6%, or 12% EC or a control diet for 14 weeks. Mice fed the EC-containing diets gained less weight than control, despite slightly higher food intake. The lower final weight of EC-fed mice was due to lesser fat content but increased lean mass than control. EC intake increased lipolysis in subcutaneous adipose tissue, and reduced adipocyte size in subcutaneous, visceral, and brown adipose tissues. EC intake also prevented lipid droplet accumulation and increased mitochondrial content in skeletal muscle and liver. Accordingly, fasting and postprandial oxygen consumption, as well as fasting fat oxidation and postprandial glucose utilization were higher in mice fed with EC than in control. EC intake reduced proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA content in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, without an impact on neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA. These neuropeptides control food intake but also influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) mRNA expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and circulating triiodothyronine (T3) were lower in EC-fed mice than in control. This effect was linked with decreased circulating corticosterone and weight of adrenal glands. Our results indicate that EC modulates appetite, increases lipolysis in adipose tissue and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in liver and skeletal muscle, leading to increased energy expenditure and lower body fat mass. These metabolic effects were ascribable to the modulation of the HPT and HPA axes. LC-MS profiling of EC found 11 phenolic compounds among which protocatechuic acid (23.8%), caffeic acid (21.06%) and syringic acid (29.25%) were the most abundant, while GC-MS profiling showed 16 terpenoids among which costunolide (68.11%), ambrial (5.3%) and cis-α-terpineol (7.99%) were identified. Extrapolation of mice-to-human EC intake was performed using the body surface area normalization equation which gave a conversion equivalent daily human intake dose of 76.9–308.4 mg bioactives for an adult of 60 kg that can be obtained from 14.5–58.3 g of cardamom seeds (18.5–74.2 g cardamom pods). These results support further exploration of EC as a coadjuvant in clinical practice.

Background Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is a spice and exhibits potent antioxidant and biological activities through distinct molecular mechanisms. However, the anticancer effect of cardamom was not explored yet in Ehrlich solid tumor (EST)-bearing mice. Objectives This investigation was aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of green cardamom (GCar) alone or combined with the anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide in an in vivo model to explore its mechanistic role in tumor cell death in EST-bearing mice. Methods Ehrlich ascites tumor cells were injected in the mice and 5 days later the animals treated with GCar and/or cyclophosphamide for 10 days. Twenty-four hours from the last treatment, animals were sacrificed for the different measurements. Results Data recorded for tumor size, percentage of tumor growth inhibition, tumor growth delay and mean survival time of EST-bearing mice demonstrated the effective role of GCar alone or combined with CPO as a promising anti-cancer agent because it reduced tumor size. GCar elevated the mean survival time of EST-bearing mice compared to that of untreated EST and EST + CPO groups. Analysis of qPCR mRNA gene and protein expression revealed that GCar alone or combined with CPO were promising anticancer agents. After the treatment of EST with GCar, the apoptotic-related genes and proteins were significantly modulated. GCar induced markedly significant decreases in oxidative stress biomarkers and a significant increment in glutathione levels and that of antioxidant enzymes. With a marked diminish in liver and kidney function biomarkers. Conclusion The results revealed that GCar could serve as an apoptotic stimulator agent, presenting a novel and potentially curative approach for cancer treatment, inducing fewer side effects than those of the commercially used anti-cancer drugs, such as CPO.

Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is an outspread spice native to Asia, which is well appreciated for its sensory characteristics, delicate aroma, and unique taste. Currently, the main cardamom extracts are essential oils (EOs), and regarding current market tendencies, this market is in high growth. For this reason, technologies such as the instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) have been applied to reach higher yields and better quality of EO. Then, this study explores the impact of DIC as a pretreatment before hydrodistillation (HD) on the EO yield and their antioxidant activity. Obtained results showed that the coupling of DIC-HD increased the yield of essential oil and also had a positive impact on their antioxidant capacity. The EO yield of DIC-HD (140 °C and 30 s) was 4.43% vs. 2.52% for control; the AOX of DIC-HD (165 °C and 30 s) was 86% inhibition vs. 57.02% for control, and the TEAC of DIC-HD (140 °C and 30 s) was 1.44 uMTE/g EO vs. 13.66 uMTE/g EO.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the seeds of Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. Characterisation of the essential oil identified 37 components accounting for > 99% of its composition, with terpineol acetate (> 35%) and 1,8‐cineole (> 20%) being the most prevalent compounds. In the absence of toxicological data of the feed additive itself, a component‐based approach was applied to assess the safety of the essential oil as a mixture. Based on structural and metabolic similarity, the components of cardamom oil were allocated to seven assessment groups. Assuming the absence of toxicologically relevant interactions among components, dose addition was applied within each assessment group by calculating the combined margin of exposure as a basis for risk characterisation. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that the additive under assessment is safe at the proposed use level of 5 mg/kg in feed for all animal species. A concentration of 5 mg/L water for drinking is considered safe for all animal species. The use of cardamom essential oil in animal feed is considered safe for the consumer. In the absence of studies, the Panel cannot conclude on the safety for the users when handling the additive. The use of the essential oil under assessment in animal production is not expected to pose a risk for the environment. Since the seeds of E. cardamomum and their preparations are recognised to flavour food and their function in feed would be essentially the same, no further demonstration of efficacy is considered necessary. The Panel made a recommendation to limit the content of methyleugenol in the oil.

Toxicity of cardamom and clove seed powder and extracted compounds against the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), was assessed in laboratory exposure experiments. The treatments comprised different amounts of seed powder of cardamom (0.8, 1, 3, and 5 mg) and clove (1, 3, 5, 7 mg), and extract concentrations (0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8) for both plants using ether petroleum or chloroform. Data showed that 5 mg of cardamom powdered seed resulted in 93% mortality after one day and 100% mortality after two days. Whereas after two days, lower amounts (0.8, 1, and 3 mg) resulted in 26%, 40%, 46%, respectively. A similar result was obtained for clove seed powder, where 7 mg caused 53% mortality after one day and 100% mortality after three days, other amounts (1, 3, and 5 mg) resulted in 33%, 73%, and 80%, mortality respectively, after three days. We found that all amounts of extract of both plants resulted in 100% mortality after three days. GC-MS analysis of the cardamom and clove extracts revealed the presence of a large number of terpenes of particular note was eugenol and two novel compounds Hydroxy-alpha-Terpenyl Acetate and Labda -8(17),13(E)- Diene- 15. The current work aims at the possibility of benefiting from natural plants pesticides as being safer as well as on the separation of volatile oils, which was known to be important in the control pests.

Land uses are changing rapidly in Vietnam’s upland northern borderlands. Regional development platforms such as the Greater Mekong Subregion, state-propelled market integration and reforestation programs, and lowland entrepreneurs and migrants are all impacting this frontier landscape. Drawing on a mixed methods approach using remote sensing data from 2000 to 2009 and ethnographic fieldwork, we examine how land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) has occurred across three borderland provinces—Lai Châu, Lào Cai and Hà Giang—with high proportions of ethnic minority semi-subsistence farmers. After a broad examination of regional land-use changes, we select three case studies to further analyze the underlying relationships between specific LULCC and local livelihood diversification strategies. These include specific patterns of urban growth due to a range of political decisions in Lai Châu and Lào Cai Provinces, reforestation due to non-timber forest (NTFP) product cultivation in the west of Lào Cai Province, and a stable landscape that restricts government attempts at refashioning upland livelihoods in the east of Hà Giang. Our findings point to the difficulties of completing LULCC maps for this highly heterogeneous region and the complexity of LULCC and livelihood interactions and relationships examined on the ground.

Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, or small cardamom referred as ‘queen of spices’, is a perennial herbaceous rhizomatous monocot of the family Zingiberaceae. Cardamom seeds and fruits are the economically significant parts and effectively used as a traditional medicine, food additive and flavoring agent. In the present study, using Ion Proton next generation sequencing technology we performed the small RNA sequencing, conserved and novel miRNA predictions of a wild and five cultivar genotypes of cardamom. Small RNA sequencing generated a total of 5,451,328 and 2,756,250 raw reads for wild and cultivar cardamom respectively. The raw data was submitted to SRA database of NCBI under the accession numbers and SRX2273863 (wild) and SRX2273862 (cultivars). The raw reads were quality filtered and predicted conserved and novel miRNAs for wild and cultivar cardamom. The predicted miRNAs, miRNA-targets and functional annotations might provide valuable insights into differences between wild progenitor and cultivated cardamom.

ObjectiveTo study the potential ameliorating properties of cardamom Elettaria cardamomum (E. cardamomum) L. Maton against pan masala induced damage in lung of male Swiss mice.MethodsThe experimental animals were divided into 3 groups (control, pan masala treated group and pan masala with cardamom treated group) to evaluate pan masala toxicity. The observations were substantiated with profound changes in the lung tissue as revealed in the histologic and transmission electron microscopic examinations.ResultsLung of pan masala treated group showed adenocarcinoma, edema, and inflammation with increased activity of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase. The deleterious effects were seen to be less in cardamom treated group and the enzymatic activity also decreased significantly (P

Background The main goal of the work was to analyse intraspecific variation in Elettaria cardamomum Maton (cardamom) using genome size, cytological studies and molecular marker data. Nuclear DNA content and molecular marker details furnish data on genome size and genetic diversity respectively among the studied accessions and both complement each other for evolutionary and taxonomic studies. Results The relative 2C genome size and total number of base pairs of cardamom was determined through flow cytometric analysis using propidium iodide staining. The nuclear DNA content was estimated in various sections of the species representing individuals from wild and cultivar genotypes following Zea mays L. CE-777 (2C = 5.43 pg) as internal reference standard. Chromosome number from growing root tip was examined following standard protocols. Twenty-six ISSR primers that generated polymorphic bands were used for genetic diversity analysis of the thirty accessions of cardamom. Estimated nuclear 2C DNA content ranged from 2.57 to 3.22 pg demonstrating 1.25-fold variation. The mean amount of 2C nuclear DNA of the cardamom was calculated as 2.87 pg which is equivalent of 2806 Mbp as the diploid genome size. The chromosome number was found to be 2n = 48. Among the thirty accessions of cardamom studied using ISSR markers, C53 (feral from Bonacaud) showed a very prominent level of genetic diversity and was lowest for C96 (Avinash-I, a released variety from Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode). Conclusion These analyses revealed the existence of genetic variability within the studied cardamom accessions. The plant specimens also differed significantly in their genome size. However, the genetic variability parameters did not show any correlation with genome size.

In the wake of important economic reforms and an ongoing agrarian transition, non-timber forest products, most notably black cardamom, have emerged as significant trade options for ethnic minority farmers in the mountainous Sino-Vietnamese borderlands. Yet, after a series of harsh winters had already crippled cardamom harvests in the 2000s, extreme weather in 2016 decimated the cardamom plantations of hundreds of farming households. Drawing from sustainable livelihoods, livelihood diversification, and vulnerability literatures, we investigate the multiple factors shaping how these harvest failures have affected ethnic minority cultivator livelihoods. Focusing on four case study villages, two in Yunnan, and two in northern Vietnam, we analyse the coping and adaptation strategies Hmong, Yao, Hani, and Yi minority farmers have adopted. We find that farmers&rsquo, decisions and strategies have been rooted in a complex ensemble of factors including their degree of market access, other livelihood opportunities available to them, cultural traditions and expectations, and state development strategies. Moreover, we find that in recent years the Chinese and Vietnamese states have stood-by as affected cultivators have struggled to reorganize their livelihoods, suggesting that the impacts of extreme weather events might even serve state projects to further agrarian transitions in these borderlands.

Las semillas de cardamomo son una de las especias más caras y demandadas en los últimos años en todo el mundo, debido a su creciente uso como condimento en arroces, panes, postres, curry, o como aromatizante de café, té y ginebra. En los países árabes se mastican para refrescar el aliento gracias a su aroma intenso y sabor picante. La India ha sido desde la antigüedad el mayor productor y exportador de semillas de cardamomo, pero hoy en día, y actualmente es Guatemala. Entre sus actividades farmacológicas destacamos la acción gastroprotectora, espasmolítica, eupéptica, expectorante, antiséptica bucal y respiratoria, y quimiopreventiva. Es muy importante llevar a cabo un correcto control de calidad, de los frutos y semillas de cardamomo, antes de su envasado y comercialización, para evitar posibles sustituciones por otros frutos y semillas no oficinales o adulteraciones que pongan en riesgo la salud, e incluso poder detectar posibles infecciones por hongos, bacterias o insectos (Thrips). En esta revisión bibliográfica realizamos una monografía de las semillas de cardamomo que abarca desde el origen geográfico, nombres vernáculos, sinónimos botánicos, características farmacoergásticas, composición química de la semilla, actividad farmacológica, empleos, indicaciones terapéuticas y control de calidad, que recoge los ensayos botánicos, físico-químicos, y de pureza que debe someterse a la droga antes de su comercialización Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Farmacia

International audience; The solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) of cardamom essential oil (Elletaria cardamomum L.) was studied. A multivariate study based on a central composite design (CCD) was used to evaluate the influence of three major variables affecting the performance of the solvent-free microwave extraction of cardamom seed. The yield and the composition of the essential oils from the dry cardamom seeds obtained by SFME were determined, and compared with those obtained by the traditional hydro-distillation (HD). Statistical treatment of the results provided by the CCD revealed that the selected parameters: extraction time, irradiation power and moisture content of the seeds were significant. The essential oils were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Essential oils provided by SFME are dominated by the oxygenated fraction which is the more valuable and composed of highly odoriferous aromatic compounds. Cardamom seeds treated by SFME and HD were observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Micrographs provide more evidence of the destruction of cardamom seeds treated by SFME, in contrast to conventional hydro-distillation.

Subasinghe K, Sumanapala AP. 2014. Biological and functional diversity of bird communities in natural and human modified habitats in Northern Flank of Knuckles Mountain Forest Range, Sri Lanka. Biodiversitas 15: 200-205. The Knuckles Mountain Forest Range(KMFR) has a complex mosaic of natural and human modified habitats and the contribution of these habitats to the biological andfunctional diversities has not been deeply studied. Present study investigated both of these diversities in five habitat types (two naturalhabitats: Sub-montane forest and Pitawala Patana grassland; three modified habitats: cardamom, pinus and abandoned tea plantations) inNorthern Flank of KMFR using birds as the indicator group. Bird communities were surveyed using point count method. A total of1,150 individuals belonging to 56 species were observed. The highest species richness was reported from the cardamom plantationwhere as sub-montane forest had the highest feeding guild diversity in terms of Shannon Weiner index. The abandoned tea plantationand the Pitawala Patana grasslands with fairly open habitats, showed relatively lower levels of feeding guild diversities. It is clear thatthe structurally complex habitats contribute more to the area’s biological and functional diversities and need to be taken into consideration when developing conservation plans.

Aims: This paper examines the interactions between climate parameters and cardamom capsule yield and its sustainability in Indian Cardamom Hills. Methodology: Temporal trends were evaluated at annual, seasonal and monthly time scale using Mann-Kendall method. Significant trends were identified at annual, seasonal and monthly scale using two tailed Z-Test. The temporal trends were evaluated using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test. To quantify the slope we used Sen’s non-parametric estimator of slope. The significance of the test was evaluated using two tailed Z-Test. A p value of

Background Cardamom is a well-known spice in Indian subcontinent, used in culinary and traditional medicine practices since ancient times. The current investigation was untaken to evaluate the potential benefit of cardamom powder supplementation in high carbohydrate high fat (HCHF) diet induced obese rats. Method Male Wistar rats (28 rats) were divided into four different groups such as Control, Control + cardamom, HCHF, HCHF + cardamom. High carbohydrate and high fat (HCHF) diet was prepared in our laboratory. Oral glucose tolerance test, organs wet weight measurements and oxidative stress parameters analysis as well as liver marker enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were assayed on the tissues collected from the rats. Plasma lipids profiles were also measured in all groups of animals. Moreover, histological staining was also performed to evaluate inflammatory cells infiltration and fibrosis in liver. Results The current investigation showed that, HCHF diet feeding in rats developed glucose intolerance and increased peritoneal fat deposition compared to control rats. Cardamom powder supplementation improved the glucose intolerance significantly (p > 0.05) and prevented the abdominal fat deposition in HCHF diet fed rats. HCHF diet feeding in rats also developed dyslipidemia, increased fat deposition and inflammation in liver compared to control rats. Cardamom powder supplementation significantly prevented the rise of lipid parameters (p > 0.05) in HCHF diet fed rats. Histological assessments confirmed that HCHF diet increased the fat deposition and inflammatory cells infiltration in liver which was normalized by cardamom powder supplementation in HCHF diet fed rats. Furthermore, HCHF diet increased lipid peroxidation, decreased antioxidant enzymes activities and increased advanced protein oxidation product level significantly (p > 0.05) both in plasma and liver tissue which were modulated by cardamom powder supplementation in HCHF diet fed rats. HCHF diet feeding in rats also increased the ALT, AST and ALP enzyme activities in plasma which were also normalized by cardamom powder supplementation in HCHF diet fed rats. Moreover, cardamom powder supplementation ameliorated the fibrosis in liver of HCHF diet fed rats. Conclusion This study suggests that, cardamom powder supplementation can prevent dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and hepatic damage in HCHF diet fed rats.

Antibacterial activity of methanol seed extract of Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton was tested using agar disc diffusion method against 10 human pathogenic bacteria (Gram positive: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus-β-haemolytica, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, and Sarcina lutea as well as Gram negative: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, and Shigella sonnei). Methanol extract inhibited the growth of all the tested bacteria having various degrees of inhibition zones. Highest inhibitory activity was observed against Salmonella typhi (16.83 mm) with lowest MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration) values viz. 25 mg/ ml and 50 mg/ml, respectively in gram negative bacteria and the same was observed against Streptococcus-β-haemolytica (15.5 mm) with the MIC and MBC value of 50 mg/ml in gram positive bacteria. On the basis of this experimental result, it can be concluded that methanol seed extract of E. cardamomum could be considered for further isolation and evaluation as therapeutic antimicrobial.